Optical systems have many advantages over systems that transmit electrical signals. For one, electrical signals are susceptible to electromagnetic noise whereby great care must be taken to shield those signals from sources of electromagnetic radiation. On the other hand, optical signals are immune to electromagnetic radiation and do not require shielding during transmission. Additionally, electrical signals can be transmitted for only relatively small distances since they incur losses proportional to the distance. Optical signals, on the other hand, can be transmitted for great distances with little or no loss. For these and other reasons, many systems incorporate optical signals.
Many optical systems employ optical fibers as the medium for carrying the optical signals. In general, the optical fibers are comprised of an optical core through which the optical signals pass and an outer cladding having a different index of refraction so as to restrict the path of the optical signals to within the core. Optical fiber cables additionally have some sheathing and/or cables running along the length of the cable in order to provide some structural rigidity and to minimize damage to the fiber itself Typically, to join two fibers together, each fiber is separated from the rest of the cable and is terminated in a connector. The fiber ends need to be prepared before being joined with the connector, such as by polishing, convexing, and/or angle cutting. The connector may have a ferrule with an angled surface which aligns itself with the angled surface of the ferrule for a mating connector.
A challenge with these connectors is that they must be precisely aligned and in direct contact with each other to minimize signal loss. The contact points between the connectors, however, may receive dirt, oil, and/or other contaminants that can degrade the connection to the point of being unusable. Furthermore, in addition to contaminants degrading the performance of the connection, vibration, jarring, or other movement of the connectors may cause them to no longer be precisely aligned with each other. If the connectors are not aligned, the connection allows the loss of photonic signals due to misdirection of the signals through the connector ends and due to refraction of the signals.